Hone family

[1] The Hones, originally a merchant family, joined the ranks of the Anglo-Irish gentry in the early 19th century.

Nathaniel married Mary Earle, who has been described in varying sources as either the natural daughter of John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll[4] or as a 'nobleman's mistress'.

[2] Nathaniel and Mary had 12 children in total, 2 of whom, Horace and John Camillus (the subjects of many of Hone's early paintings), became accomplished artists in their own right.

Horace Hone (1756-1825), a prominent society portrait miniature painter, was appointed an associate member of the Royal Academy[5] in 1779.

In 1795, Horace Hone was appointed miniature painter to the Prince of Wales, then the future George IV.

[7] John had a flourishing career as a painter with exhibitions at the Royal Academy from 1776 to 1780 before he went out to the East Indies to refine his art skills.

[7] John Camillus Hone returned to Dublin in 1790 and was appointed to the office 'Engraver of Dies' by the Lord-Lieutenant the Earl of Westmorland.

He had two sons, Joseph (1747-1803) and Nathaniel (1758-1846), and a daughter Abigail (1752-1855) who married her first cousin John Camillus Hone (above).

[4] Nathaniel, Joseph's second son, had started life as a clothier but soon pursued a career in finance which culminated in his appointment as Governor of the Bank of Ireland in 1822.

Joseph Hone (1775-1857) married Mary Crosthwaite, daughter of Leland Crosthwaite and Anne Maria Laban (whose mother was a Darby of the Leap Castle family[4][8]), and had 10 children,[4] having previously had 4 children with his first wife Elinor Maxwell.

[4][1][2] Brindley Hone (1796-1862) was the chairman of the Grand Canal Company as well as Director of the Bank of Ireland and had lived at Vevay House in Ballybrack[4] which passed through the ownership of his many sons until it finally changed hands.

[4] Another of Joseph (1775-1857)'s sons was Nathaniel Hone (1807-1880), who served as Justice of the Peace and High Sheriff of County Dublin in 1870 and as Director of the Bank of Ireland.

[10] Of William's 11 children, two sons - Joseph (1804-1865) and Thomas (1817-1875) - and one daughter - Elizabeth (1809-1882) - had descendants who occupied prominent positions in society.

[4] Nathaniel married Hannah Dickinson (1760-1841), having 6 children with her, and had a country house called Hannahville, which he named after his wife.